Category Archives: Blog Even Finish It

FIGHT!

Blog Even Finish It, Finish It #20, marriage, , , ,

Thanks to Author S Mazing for the prompt Blogging Event #20. Anyone can join! Just go to her site and add your story to her prompt!

Finally! Boarding time! She made her way to her seat and stowed her carry on away. As much as she loved traveling she was not keen on this 12 hour flight. She sat down and fastened her seat belt, wondering who would sit next to her. After a quick look out the tiny window she started scanning the other passengers entering the plane, wondering who would eventually sit down next to her. She glanced out the window again and observed the busy world out there. Then someone sat down next to her.

Please continue. . .

Sue glanced at the woman who sat down beside her. She reminded Sue of her grandmother. She was a tiny lady, her gray hair pulled back in a bun, and a peaceful face. The woman smiled at her. As soon as she was seated and buckled in, the steward came down the aisle checking all the overhead bins and the seatbelts, telling passengers to put their tables up. Then the plan began taxiing toward the runway and in a short time, they were headed into the sky.

The woman turned to her. “Hello, dear,” she said. “How are you?”

Sue nodded. She didn’t feel like talking, but she didn’t want to be rude. “I . . . I’m fine. thank you.” She wiped an unbidden tear from her eyes.

“We have a long trip ahead of us,” the woman said. She frowned a little. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes. It’s just that you remind me of my grandmother.” That was true, but the tear didn’t come from that. It came from the turmoil at her sister’s. She never realized that divorce could be so ugly.

“I hope that’s good,” the woman said, smiling again. “Well, you remind me of my granddaughter. I’m on my way home from visiting her. She’s grown up into a fine lady and married a fine young man. A soldier. He’s stationed here in England. In another year, they are going to return home.” She sighed. “It will be good to have them closer.”

“I’m sure it will be,” said Sue.

The woman yawned. “Oh excuse me. I need to introduce myself. My name is Lydia.”

“Mine is Sue.”

“My, my. Sue is my granddaughter’s name. Well, dear, if you’ll excuse me, I think I might doze. It has been a big day!”

That suited Sue fine. She didn’t want to have conversation right now. She didn’t want to tell anyone she was on her way home from helping her sister through her divorce to tell her fiancé she didn’t want to marry him—or anyone. It scared her. She didn’t want to marry and have children and put them through that sort of thing!

The flight was quiet. A movie came on, but she hadn’t gotten the headset. She pulled out the magazine from the seat in front. It was hard to concentrate. She dreaded telling Philip she wouldn’t marry him. He was the best thing God had ever put in her life. But she couldn’t bear the thought of having that love end, going through a divorce, having children to put through that.

When the steward came by with refreshments, she chose a diet coke. Lydia woke from her nap and asked for coffee. It made Sue smile. Grandma had been a coffee drinker!

Lydia looked over at her. “Are you headed home?” she asked.

Sue smiled and nodded. “Yes. I was visiting my sister.”

“How nice.” Lydia sipped her coffee. “I’m the last one in my family. No parents or brothers or sister. I’m so glad I have my granddaughter and she will be home soon. I am thankful that the Lord gave her to me.” Her eyes had a faraway look. “I do miss the love of my life. He was the kindest man I ever knew. I almost didn’t marry. Cold feet at the thought of settling down.” She chuckled. “After fifty years of married life, I laugh at that.”

Sue listened and found herself wanting to know more about this sweet lady. “You were married for fifty years?”

“Oh, yes. We were nineteen when we married. How the years flew. I wonder how I could ever have had cold feet!”

“Did you ever come close to divorce?”

“We had some rocky moments, but we worked them out, some through talking with successfully married couples. We did know a few! And we talked with each other. We’d see couples sitting in a restaurant not saying a word to each other. They’d just be eating! Ed and I tried very hard, even when our daughter was young to talk together, to discuss the day.” She paused. “Oh, how we worked through some things! Probably would have been easier using boxing gloves! She glanced at Sue and smiled. “Not really. We talked a lot of things out, gave in sometimes. And we prayed!” She shook her head. “All that kept us together. It was tough, but it was worth it.” She paused. “Are you married, Sue?”

Sue shook her head. “No. I’m not sure I want to.”

“Forgive me if I’m prying, but do you have someone you care for?”

Lydia had such kind eyes. They pulled Sue in; she wanted to confide in this grandmother. “Yes. But I’m afraid. What if we have children, fall out of love, and hate each other?” Tears slid down her face. “I couldn’t bear that!”

Lydia put her hand on Sue’s arm. Her voice was soft and full of concern. “It doesn’t matter what we do, things can go south. But you can fight! If you love each other, you can work it out. They say those who pray together, stay together. That was so important. And talking together. When Ed and I got married, we went to premarital counseling. We learned about each other—simple things we never thought to talk about. Who made breakfast, who walked the dog, how many children did we want, was there an expectation that I would work or be a homemaker? All sorts of questions. Knowing all those things, plus a whole bunch more, helped us through those expectations that might be different for each of us. Don’t give him up if you love him. Fight for him! It means work, but it is worth it. Fifty years showed me that.”

Sue nodded. Lydia had given her a lot to think about. She put her head back and closed her eyes. Perhaps it would work to marry. She wanted to. While the movie flickered, Sue thought and prayed and argued. A baby cried and then she saw the mother carrying her child toward the restroom.

Something stirred in Sue’s heart. She wanted to fight, not just give up. If Lydia could make fifty years through thick and thin, she could, too. She glanced at the grandmother in the seat next to her. Lydia was dozing. Sue smiled and offered a prayer of thanks that God had sent this lady to sit next to her. She reached in her purse and pulled out the picture of Philip and herself that she carried everywhere. She had almost thrown it away when she left her sister, but then couldn’t do it. Philip was still a long ways away, but Sue knew he was waiting for her. She pulled out her cell phone and pushed in his number. His familiar voice said hello.

“Hello, my darling,” she answered his voice, hers trembling. “I’ll be home soon. I love you.”

THE PAST CATCHES UP

Blog Even Finish It, The Past, ,

His heart was heavy. He had to find the right words to let her know. It would be a shock for her and he wasn’t sure how she would handle the news. Why? He had asked himself that question thousands of times over the last thirty minutes. Why? Somehow there had to be an answer for it. If only he could come up with one before he had to tell her.

 Josh turned his attention back to the road. The journeys to and from work had been the most difficult ones he had ever taken as his past haunted him every time he was alone. He had prided himself on not keeping secrets from his wife, Carol. All but one. That was safe because it happened before he knew her, before he realized she was the one he wanted to spend his life with. And now that one secret might be his undoing. He sighed as he turned down the street that led to his house.

His mind went back to the letter he had received a week ago. There was no name, only a return address, a couple hours away. He didn’t know anyone in that town so he almost threw the letter away. But he decided against it and tore the envelope open. It read,

“Dear Joshua Landers,

“My name is Lynette. You don’t know me, but I hope to get to know you. You might recognize my mother’s name, Sarah Thompson. If not, perhaps I need to look farther. However, I think you are my father.”

Josh had felt the room start to whirl. He sat down. Yes, that name was familiar. He read on.

“My mother raised me alone. Awhile back, she told me you name. She didn’t know where you were now, but said you had stayed in the same town after she left. She has died and now the doctor wants to know my medical history. Please call me or write me; if you don’t recognize my mother’s name, please let me know that.”

“Thank you.

“Sincerely, Lynette Thompson.”

Josh had stared at the phone number. He wanted to throw the letter away, forget about this moment, and go back to his blissfully happy relationship with his wife and children. Anger welled up in him. Why does she want to contact me?

He slumped. His anger disappeared. He had been a rat and he knew it. When Sarah confided to him she was pregnant, he wanted her to get an abortion. The conversation came back to him.

“We can’t get married, Sarah. We are too young. We have lives ahead of us. An abortion is the only way!”

Angrily, Sarah shook her head. “Never, Joshua. I can’t do that to my baby!”

“Well, then, take care of it yourself!” he shouted. He had stomped out and disappeared from her life.

Sarah had moved out of town, but he had stayed in the same town.

The years after that had changed his life. He had met God and repented of his past and of what he had done to Sarah. He had met Carol and they had married and had a baby, and another on the way. He told himself there was nothing he could do about Sarah and that it would do no good to tell Carol about his past.

Even over this past week, he had tried to justify throwing the letter away, or contacting the young lady and lying to her. But the conviction hit him hard that since truth had become important to him, he needed to call Lynette and tell Carol about his past.

Josh pulled the car into the garage. He whispered a prayer that God would him strength to do what he had to do and give grace that Carol would understand. As he pushed open the door from the garage into the kitchen, he saw Carol at the table drinking a cup of tea. He took a deep breath and stepped into the house.

Carol turned toward him and smiled. “Oh, you have caught me in my laziness. The kids are over at the neighbors in their pool.” Her smile faded. “Josh, are you okay?”

Josh sat down beside her. “I need to talk to you, Carol. Will the kids be gone long?”

“A couple hours yet.” She set her cup down. “Josh, what’s wrong?”

“Carol, I have been dishonest with you. I hope you can forgive me.”

Carol stared at him for a moment. “Go ahead, Josh.”

“It is about something that happened before I knew you. I didn’t think it mattered that I didn’t say anything, but I can see that I should have.” He held up the letter he had pushed into his pocket. He had kept it there, moving it to whatever jacket or pants he was wearing that day.

Carol hesitated, then reached out and took it. Josh watched as she read it. She looked up at him and was quiet for a long time. When she spoke, her voice was resolute. “Have you contacted her?”

Josh shook his head. “I have put it off.”

“Josh,” she scolded, “she apparently is your daughter. You owe her. And since she is your daughter, she is mine.” She cleared her throat. “I wish you would have told me before. But that is the past. Now we have to take care of her.”

Josh nodded. “I’ll call her. But first I need to say something. I was a rat to her. I even wanted her to get an abortion. But God convicted me of that and I have repented for all of it. Still, it is inexcusable that I didn’t tell you about the child before we were married. I don’t deserve any forgiveness from you, but I hope you will grant it.” Without waiting for her to respond, he stood and went to the phone.

At its ring, a young woman’s voice answered. Josh told her who he was.

“Mr. Landers, thank you for calling. I know this is probably a difficult situation. I don’t want to make it worse. Could we meet and discuss my medical history?”

Josh agreed. They set Saturday and Josh was on his way. Carol seemed distant and Josh could only pray that he would forgive him.

Lynette was a very nice young lady. She was in her twenties and living with an aunt. “Aunt Linda encouraged me to call you,” she said. “I thought I just wanted medical information, but I find I am glad to meet my father. Mother told me a lot about you”

“I wasn’t very nice to her. I’m sorry I was a cad.”

“We talked about you, without your name. She didn’t tell me that until she got sick. Then she felt she needed to. She forgave you and she wanted me to do the same.”

“Lynette, I told my wife about you.”

Lynette’s eyebrows went up as if she to say “And?”

“My wife says since you are my daughter, you are hers too. We would like to take you to dinner and have you meet your brother.”

A smile spread across Lynnette’s face. “I would like to.  A brother! Wow!”

The trip home was much better than the trip to see his daughter, but he was concerned about Carol. She had seemed distant after he told her. He parked in the garage and went into the house. Carol was fixing dinner. She turned to him.

“It was good,” he told her. “I asked her to go to dinner with us.”

Carol nodded. She stopped what she was doing. “I want you to know I forgive you. I have done a lot of thinking. I was hurt but the past is the past and I know you have changed. I love you, Josh.”

She walked to him and put her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her and whispered thank you through her hair. “I love you, my beautiful wife.” Their kiss was like a stepping stone, away from the past and into a new beginning. As he held her close, his thoughts formed a prayer of thanks to God for His making an ugly situation beautiful.

This was written as a prompt from Author S B Mazing. Join the fun and write your story from her prompt!

THE LETTER OF HOPE

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I have been tied up with some of life’s busyness and have finally gotten back to to Finish It! by authorsbmazing for FINISH IT! #14. Hope you enjoy it!

Here is her prompt for Finish It #14
He looked at the letter. Over and over again. Maybe he was dreaming. This was too good to be true! Life had been rough recently. He checked again, if the letter was really addressed to him. If this was true, it would change everything.
Please continue…

Ben turned the letter over again. Yes, it was addressed to him: Benjamin Alstead. The name on the return label was from the man his friend Randall Cavin had identified as his biological father, William Barston. Randall had told him that William would contact Ben if he wanted to talk with him.

Ben thought back over his search for his biological parents. It had been a long search. The laws in his state kept the adoption closed, but Ben had prayed that he would find them. His adopted parents warned him,“Biological parents have their reasons to keep the adoption closed, Ben. There may be a road of hurt before you.”

Ben had studied his parents’ faces. “You know I don’t want to do this because you have been bad parents. You are the best parents in the world. It’s just that it’s something I have to do.”

His mother had sighed and leaned against his father, looking up into his face. Ben watched as his adopted father looked down at his mother. When they looked back at him, they nodded. “Ben, if this is what you really want to do, we wish you God-speed. We are here for you, son, and we’ll help you any way we can.”

And they had. But the search was not complete when they were killed in an automobile accident. The need to find his biological parents increased. They would keep him from being an orphan, without family! The search went on hold during the settling of his parents’ estate. But he knew he would have to get back into it, refusing to believe it could lead to more pain than he had now.

His year was lonely with grieving. His heart ached to find his biological parents, especially his father. Then he was surprised by the contact from his parents’ friend from years before.

“Hi. My name is Randall Cavin. If you are Ben, the son of Carl and Ashley, give me a call or email me,” he said in a letter. It had been a long time since he had heard that name, but he did vaguely remember it. He had been friends with Ben’s adopted parents but he had moved and conversation between the friends had grown sparse. Ben decided to send an email right away, confirming Randall’s suspicion.

The reply was immediate. “Ben, I read about your folks’ deaths. I am so sorry. I’m an attorney and was involved with a case and couldn’t do anything at the time. Give me a call tomorrow. I would love to know how you are and what I can do to help you.”

Ben told Randall about his search and Randall said he would like to help Ben. “But,” he warned, “it may lead to more pain than you have now.”

“That’s what my parents said,” Ben had answered. “But I have to do this.”

And so the search had continued. Then a call from Randall made Ben’s heart leap. He had found Ben’s father. “If he is going to have you be part of his life, he will write you a letter.”

Ben waited. As the month passed, he wondered if he should give up. And then the letter came in the mail. Ben stared at it. Was it really for him? Was it really from his biological father? With trembling hands, he tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter. He hands still trembled as he read, “Dear Ben, your friend Randall contacted me. He told us about you and we realized that you are our biological son. He told me about your adopted parents. We are so sorry. Ben, it has been more than 25 years that we have thought about you. We were too young to marry when you were born and it was with heavy hearts that we put you up for adoption. It was several years before we married and although we wanted to know you, we felt it was best to leave things as they were. We have thought much about it and have decided we want you to be part of our lives.”

The visit with his father and mother had been all that Ben had hoped it was. He had not only father and mother, but brother and sister. He put the letter in a safe place. It had changed his life and he would value it forever.

FOLLOWED!

Blog Even Finish It, Uncategorized, ,

Thanks Author S B Mazing for another story prompt for Blog Event Finish It #13. I hope you enjoy the finish of the story! The prompt: she kept looking in her mirror. The car was still following her. She was sure it was the same car. She did another unnecessary turn, just to see what the driver in the dark Suburban would do. Maybe she was crazy. Maybe he was heading the same direction she was. But there was this weird feeling. This sick gut feeling and the last had taught her to listen to her instincts.

Please continue…

The last time Lisa had been followed was when she went to visit her daughter. She had passed a man and he began to follow her too closely. She had tried to leave quite a bit of room when she pulled back in the lane, but perhaps he thought she was too close. After a few miles of his tailgating, she started to call 911. Just then, a police car pulled in front of her. She blinked her lights several times and the police car pulled off the road. He pulled back on the road behind the car following her and pulled him over. Lisa had turned off at the next corner and taken several other streets so whoever it was couldn’t find her.

It had been a long time, but Lisa could remember how she had breathed a prayer of thanks for God’s protection. It helped overcome the fear that had nagged her while the car was following her.

Now as Lisa glanced in the mirror at the suburban behind her, she had a sense of peace that helped her not to panic. She knew she was too close to home and she couldn’t  go there with this guy behind her.

“Father God, I’m going to go to the police station,” she said to herself. “I sure don’t want to take this guy to my house. I ask that you would send him away!” She turned onto the next street away from home and toward the police station. The suburban followed her. Another couple turns and she pulled up into the parking lot of the police station. She left her engine  while she watched the suburban slow, than speed away.

A woman had come out of the building and came over to her car.  Lisa rolled down her window. “You okay?” the woman asked. “I was leaving and saw you pull up and that guy take off.”

Lisa let out her breath, and nodded. “Yes, thank you. He has been following me for several miles.”

The woman nodded. “It was a good thing to come here. Do you have a license number?”

“No. I only saw the front of the car.”

The woman smiled. She reached in the window and put her hand in hand on Lisa shoulder. “I’m Officer Kate. Tell you what, I’ll follow you home.”

Lisa nodded. “Thanks. I’m a little shaken.” Kate went to her car and followed Lisa out of the parking lot. Lisa appreciated Officer Kate’s friendliness and help. She kept her eyes open on the way home. No sign of the follower.

At her house, Lisa waved as she pulled in the driveway. Officer Kate waved back and Lisa pressed the garage door opener button. She pulled into the garage, turned off the engine and pressed the button to close the garage door. As she stepped out, she breathed a prayer, “Father God, thank you.” She smiled and pushed open the door into the house.

NIGHTMARE

abuse, Blog Even Finish It, ,

Thanks to Author S B Mazing for her Blogging event: Finish It. Here is her opening:

Her hands were shaking. Her heart was racing. Enough! She had enough! He would no longer hurt her! She could feel the cold metal in her hand slowly adjust to her body’s temperature. She had her back in the corner of their bathroom, the door locked and outside of it footsteps approaching.

Please continue…

He began to beat on the door. She thought the banging on the door would cause it to collapse and he would come raging in to beat her as he had in the past. This time he might kill her. Why did he have to drink? He was kind and reasonable when he hadn’t been drinking. But when he drank . . .

His drunken voice filled the air around her. “You . . . better come . . . out!”

She lifted the gun and pointed it at the door. She was trembling with fear. What if she misses? Or it doesn’t stop him? What if she kills him? She gritted her teeth. She couldn’t going to put up with him anymore.

The door gave way. Her husband moved toward her, drawing his arm back. She pulled the trigger. . . .

Autumn sat up, startled out of sleep by the nightmare. Her heart was beating hard and her breathing was fast.

“Autumn? You ok?” her husband asked in a sleepy voice.

“A nightmare. I think it was brought on by the news report last night of the woman who killed her husband because he kept beating her up,” Autumn replied.

Dan sat up. “Sorry, sweetheart.” He started rubbing her back. “Want some tea?”

“No,” she said, “just keep rubbing, please. It’s relaxing me. Maybe it will help me go back to sleep. Dan, there are advocates who help women in the same situation as this woman. Tomorrow I’m going to look into it. I found a site that deals with this kind of advocacy on the internet yesterday while I was looking for something else. I will call them.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Dan replied.

Finally, she leaned over and kissed him. “Thanks for the back rub. I think I can sleep now.” She lay down and began to pray quietly for whomever she was dreaming about and for guidance to do what she could. She couldn’t do everything, but she could do something.

If you want to join the storytellers, you can find the rules by clicking here.

GIRLS ARE YUKKY

Blog Even Finish It, five years old, , , ,

I’m a little bit late, but as they say (sorry about the cliche) better late than never. Here is my story for the Blog Event Finish It 5 from Author S B Mazing. Hope you enjoy it.

He tried to be as still as possible, peaking through the leaves, wondering if they were still out there.

Please continue…

age 5
age 5

He wished he was invisible. Whenever he saw those girls, they looked at him and giggled. Why did he have to keep running into girls? Why did there have to be girls anyway?

He remembered the conversation with his mom when he said girls were yukky. “Well, my boy, that’s what you think at five. But when you are older, you will think differently.”

NO WAY! Girls were yukky and he would NEVER like them.

He peeked out from his hiding place. The girls were gone. He stepped out of his hiding place and hurried to the porch of his house.

“Hello, Nate,” said a voice.

Nate froze. A girl! What’s worse, it was that girl a couple doors down. Mom said he should be polite, even to girls. He turned around.

“Hey, Nate, want a cookie?” asked the girl. “Mom made chocolate chip cookies. She said I could bring you one.”

Nate caught his breath. Chocolate chip cookies. His favorite. He nodded and she came closer, handing him a cookie.

His mother’s voice resounded in his head, “Be polite. Say thank you.”

“Thank you,” he mumbled.

The girl smiled. “You’re welcome.” She turned and headed away.

Nate watched her go as he nibbled on the cookie. “Guess she’s not too bad,” he mumbled. He turned and headed up the porch, “But I’ll still NEVER like girls.”